The Negative Influence Of Black Cats In Today's Culture

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Superstitions plague the everyday lives of people all around the world. These ideas have stemmed from as far back as the very first humans on earth and continue to haunt some today. Among these thousands of superstitions are many regarding black cats. These felines are often associated with bad luck, from sinking boats to incoming death. Not everything is all misfortune for these cats, though. While black cat superstitions often are negative and show these animals in a bad light, some cultures and people see cats positively, in some cases even god-like. Although many of this folklore and myth has been left in the Dark Ages, it can still be seen in today’s culture. The black cat superstition has originated from a multitude of time periods and …show more content…

Some early Christian civilizations believed that when a black cat crossed your path it not only brought back luck, but did so in attempt to block one’s entrance into heaven. Unfortunately for these felines, this resulted in frequent killing of black cats (Yablon 30). This was continued into the 1600s, when, “the Puritan pilgrims who helped populate Salem, Massachusetts were devout Bible believers, and the combination of a major fear of anything Devil-related and the lingering belief that black cats were a classic part of witch lifestyles was a lethal one,” …show more content…

They believe that “a strange black cat’s arrival to the home signifies prosperity,” (Noreen). If a stray black cat appears on a doorstep in Scotland, the Scottish would welcome the lost feline because they believe it will bring them good fortune. “In the highlands of Scotland, black kitties are diffusers of evil and misfortune,” (“Black”). The Scottish are strong believers that black cats do not deliver bad luck, contrary to the popular superstition. Additionally, in Japan, black cats bring good luck, especially to single women who are said to be offered many suitors, or future husbands, if she possesses one (Schlosser). The luck continues into France, where some believe that if a black cat is brought to a meeting place of five roads, the cat is supposed to lead one to treasure (Murrell 118). With features as promising sounding as that, the French viewed cats in a very different way than people who believe the negative superstitions. Although many choose to focus on the antipathetic views on black cats, many cultures throughout history and locations around the world see the cats in as more favorable

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